Hi, just curious. Do any of you kite with the following or anything similar: compact swim fins, EPIRB, marine radio, flares, smoke signal, horn, strobe, signal mirror, marine whistle, dye packs, etc.? If so, under which conditions and have you ever successfully used it/them?

Yes, all of those things. I tow them behind me on a 2nd board attached with a board leash (I know, I'm going to get flak for using a board leash). You can never be too safe. Attached to this sled is also a kayak, just in case the wind dies and I am 20 miles out, I need to be able to paddle back to shore. I have also equipped it with a 10 horsepower outboard motor if I am too fatigued to paddle. I am always pushing my limits though so I almost always have to use the motor. Also on the boat I make sure to bring an EMT to monitor my health during the session. If any of my vitals drop below a certain mount, he is able to pull himself to my rescue board, get the necessary supplies, then pull himself to me. It is quite expensive, so I make sure to bring a portable grill and food for him to cook while we are riding, so that I get my money's worth. He is a terrible cook but as I do not always need assistance while kiting, he has plenty of opportunities to improve and the food is getting better. I am thinking that in a few months, it will be good enough that we can set up a rest tent, so in between tacks we can stay on the beach and provide food for other beachgoers. If all goes well, I can make enough money doing this that I can also hire a full time cook so that I can spend more time kiting. With all of this additional required equipment to be safe, it is difficult for me to fully enjoy a session.

Yes, all of those things. I tow them behind me on a 2nd board attached with a board leash (I know, I'm going to get flak for using a board leash). You can never be too safe. Attached to this sled is also a kayak, just in case the wind dies and I am 20 miles out, I need to be able to paddle back to shore. I have also equipped it with a 10 horsepower outboard motor if I am too fatigued to paddle. I am always pushing my limits though so I almost always have to use the motor. Also on the boat I make sure to bring an EMT to monitor my health during the session. If any of my vitals drop below a certain mount, he is able to pull himself to my rescue board, get the necessary supplies, then pull himself to me. It is quite expensive, so I make sure to bring a portable grill and food for him to cook while we are riding, so that I get my money's worth. He is a terrible cook but as I do not always need assistance while kiting, he has plenty of opportunities to improve and the food is getting better. I am thinking that in a few months, it will be good enough that we can set up a rest tent, so in between tacks we can stay on the beach and provide food for other beachgoers. If all goes well, I can make enough money doing this that I can also hire a full time cook so that I can spend more time kiting. With all of this additional required equipment to be safe, it is difficult for me to fully enjoy a session.

Some of the usuals, as always, are quick to jump in as the first to respond with completely irrelevant comments and without considering the possible circumstances surrounding information in a post.

Have you ever kited in ice cold water with extremely strong currents where a wetsuit and some small fins would be the only thing that saves your life?

Have you ever kited where you have to kite 1-2 miles offshore to get to the waves and a dye marker and radio device will be the only thing that saves your life?

Or are you only the guy that has a cooler full of cherry coke and some beers kiting in ideal coastal warm water conditions with waste high waves 100 off shore who goes in every ten minutes for a snort and some chat?

Hi, just curious. Do any of you kite with the following or anything similar: compact swim fins, EPIRB, marine radio, flares, smoke signal, horn, strobe, signal mirror, marine whistle, dye packs, etc.? If so, under which conditions and have you ever successfully used it/them?

If you are going to do long down winder in an unknown and unpopulated area then taking some safety gear and an emergency locator is not a bad idea. I have a very small survival back pack I use and pack with some essentials like water, power bars, cell phone, flash light and a beacon locator when I do long down winders. It weighs about 3 lbs and I never even know it is there.

My philosophy is it is better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

But...if you are kiting in shallow flats 50 meters off shore then leave this stuff in your car.

Most of our riding happens in a high visibility area about 2 miles from a coast guard station, at times of year when there is plenty of traffic, in sideon to onshore winds.

In the fall we start riding systems instead of diurnal winds and have to chase them around a bit. All the tourists have left and the commercial and sport fleet are done for the season. Some of the areas we are riding are high current with sideshore wind or points which do not have land downwind if you are more than 200 yards out.

A few times I have shown up at these beaches alone and not ridden. My worst case scenarios would be mitigated by having a direct link to the coast guard, not a mirror or flares or swim aids. They would also be mitigated if my friends weren't a bunch of wankers who say they're going to ride if I go check the conditions and then sit at home.

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